Overview

Somerset is renowned for its churches, many of which were built on the wealth of the wool industry in this area in the Middle Ages. Bath, Glastonbury and Wells were powerful ecclesiastical centres in this period, but there are many fascinating and beautiful churches to be found throughout the county’s towns and villages, whether small and humble, grand or unusual. They are found in a wide variety of landscapes, from the Mendip and Quantock hills, Exmoor, the Bristol Channel coastline and the edge of Bristol to the flat, marshy areas of the Levels and agricultural river valleys. The distinctive Somerset church towers can be seen throughout the county and often a wealth of medieval carving welcomes the visitor. Later buildings from the Georgian and Victorian era show the changing identity of areas where industry developed and population grew into today’s many faces of Somerset. In Churches of Somerset, author Phil Draper explores a cross-section of historical churches throughout the county, both the well known and those waiting to be discovered by a wider audience. This fascinating picture of an important part of the history of Somerset over the centuries will be of interest to all those who live in or are visiting this splendid county in England.

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9781398123458

Table of Contents

Reviews

'The book does not limit itself to the well-known churches but also shines a light on lesser-known ones, inviting a wider audience to discover their historical value.' -- Somerset County Gazette, October 2025

'The book does not limit itself to the well-known churches but also shines a light on lesser-known ones, inviting a wider audience to discover their historical value.' * Somerset County Gazette, October 2025 *

Author Information

Phil Draper is a Bristolian but has been researching the churches of his adoptive county of Somerset and further afield around the country for many years. He has recorded many churches on his ChurchCrawler website, which celebrates church architecture in England and Wales and contributed to many other research sites. He also writes a regular news page for the Ecclesiological Society and is a cathedral guide at Wells.

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